Article supporting rack



Feb. 22, 1949. s SCHNElDER 2,462,431

ARTICLE SUPPORTING RACK Filed Ju1y'24, 1946 INVEN T02 Max JreFA/vScmveloee Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATE are FICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in plating racks. Moreparticu'arly, the present invention is concernedwith the construction ofa rack which is adapted to support a multiplicity of articles inconnection with electroplating, dipping, or similar processes. Theordinary racks of the prior art do not have simple and eflicient meansfor supporting a variety of different kinds of articleson a singleprincipal supporting member. It is common practice in the fieldsaforesaid .to use different racks when one is plating, coating, ordipping articles which are of radically different shape or size.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a principal supportingrack member which is adapted to receive several diiierent formsof crossbar supports.

Another object of the invention is to provide a series of differentcrossbar supports which in turn are adapted to have mounted thereonsubsupports capable of carrying a multiphcity of articles, thesub-supports themselves being capable of mixed assembly on a commonsupport.

Stillanother object of the invention is to provide a rack whose crossbarsupports are adapted to receive rotatable support pans or discs, wherebyobjects supported thereon may be rendered more easily accessible by aspray gun orother coating device.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the principal supporting member;

Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are perspective views of alternative types ofcrossbars suitable for mounting in the bayonet slots of theprincipalsupporting member;

Figs. 3 and 8 are perspective views of sub-supports suitable formounting on the crossbar of Fig.2;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view ofanother alternative crossbar;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a rotatabledisc mountable on thecrossbar of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a crossbar isfitted into a bayonet slot of the member of Fig. 1.

The principal supporting member shown in Fig. 1 consists of an elongatedflat bar Ill having a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart bayonetslots H L-form and include: a transverse. portion: 12 and'a longitudinalportion I ,3. An iintegralri hook :l 4

which. are substantially .of: inverted serves to suspend the rack fromthe bus bar of an electroplatingtank or other support.

In Fig. 2 there is shown one form of crossbar 15 to which is spot-welded01' otherwise attached a pair of right-angled clips l6 and I1. This typeof bar-may be interengaged into a slot H, the wider dimension ofcrossbar l5 entering into the portion iii of the slot H, and the bar illfitting intermediate the clips Iii and I! to prevent the crossbar fromtilting. Thus the parts H3 and i5 are interlocked efiiciently againstunintended dislodgment. Suspendible articles may be hung on the crossbari5 and subjected to any desired operation.

In case one desires to treat articles which are not readily suspendableand which lend themselves better to support on a flat surface, one maymount the sub-supports shown in Figs. 3 or 8ion the crossbar of Fig. 2.In Fig. 3 the right-angled clips I8 and Hi snugly engage the bar l5, andsupport a horizontal fiat surfaced member 20 upon which certain forms ofarticles may rest. In Fig. 8 there are two pairs of right-angledclips-namely, clips 21 and 22, and 23 and 24. The members of each pairof clips are spaced apart in a manner identical with that shown for Fig.2, engagement with the crossbar l5 being by friction. Spot-welded tothese two pairs of clips is a wide, flat-surfaced pan 25, which isadapted to receive a variety of articles of difierent sizes and shapeswhich are to be operated upon. The pan may be perforate or imperforate,of rectangular, circular, or any other desired outline, and with orwithout a peripheral upturned flange.

. In Fig. 4 the crossbar 26 is provided with a plurality of notches Z'l.These notches may support certain types of objects, which may be wedgedand hung therein. The crossbar 21 has the rightangled clips 2t and 29,which are mounted in the same manner as described for Fig. 2, andfunction similarly. The notches 27 are also adapted to have mountedtherein hooks 3E3 of anchor form,-

upcn the flukes of which objects may be hung.

The two downwardly extending portions 3| and 32 of the hook are leftun-united so that the hook may be sprung to disengage the same from thecrossbar. After being pressed over the bar, the two flukes 33 and it ofthe hook 30 can be pressed together to prevent accidental dislodgment.

' A further modified formzoicrossbar is shown in "Fig. 5. Thisembodiment consists of 'a'ipair" of. horizontal, parallel rods '55 and436 having two:

short vertical, parallel rods 31 and 38 centrally spot-welded thereto.Rods 31 and 38 act in a manner similar to that of the clips l6 and 11 inFig. 2 when the rods 35 and 3B are inserted into the portion l3 of aslot H. The distance between the rods 35 and 36 should not be greaterthan the length of the portion [3 of the slots I I. The space betweenthe rods 31 and 38 is such as to prevent tilting of the crossbar. Therods 35 and 35 are preferably of flexible material, to permit them to bedeformed into a variety of shapes for supporting certain forms ofobjects. The dotted line 39 indicates a typical such deformation.

Fig. 6 is a modification of Fig. 5, in which vertical hooks 40 arespot-welded to the rods 35 and 36. This crossbar has an advantage overthe similar member shown in Fig. 4 made from a solid flat bar, in thatit contains considerably less metal.

Fig. 7 is a modification which combines some of the features of Fig. 2with that of Fig. 5. It consists of a pair of horizontally disposed rods4| and 42 each provided With a bight 43 and M respectively, and to whichrods are joined the two right-angled clips 45 and G6, the latterfunctioning in a manner similarly to the clips 56 and ii of Fig. 2. Whenthe crossbars of Fig. 7 are mounted on the main bar I0, the bight M willrest upon the bottom of the slot portion l3.

In Fig. 9 the crossbar there shown is similar to crossbar l5 (Fig. 2)except for the twisted part 60 enabling the wider dimension of the barto be horizontally disposed. Part 60 has holes 52 each adapted toreceive a pivot pin 53 (Fig. carried by a pan 54. Thus objects held in apan may be properly exposed to a spraying or other coating operation.

From'the foregoing description of the several forms of my invention itwill be appreciated that I have provided an improved rack of simplifiedand economical construction which can be readily assembled anddisassembled, and which is adapted to support a large variety ofarticles which differ in kind and in degree with respect to size, toshape, and to supportability, and it will also be appreciated that therack, including its assembly of crossbar supporting members andsubsupporting members, provides a means of supporting articles with aminimum of interference or obstruction to the surface to be treated.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will beunderstood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by theappended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An article-supporting rack comprising an elongated principal supportof rectangular cross section having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced-apart inverted L-shaped slots, one leg of the slot beingtransversely disposed and opening at one edge of said support, and theother leg being disposed longitudinally of said support, and a pluralityof transversely extending elongated members each adapted for engagementin a slot, each member including a pair of spaced projections extendinglaterally therefrom and adapted to abut opposed parallel faces of saidsupport.-

- 2. An article-supporting rack comprising an elongated principalsupport of rectangular cross section having a plurality oflongitudinally spaced-apart inverted L-shaped slots, one leg of the slotbeing transversely disposed and opening at one edge of said support, andthe other leg being disposed longitudinally of said support, and aplurality of transversely extending elongated members each adapted forengagement in a slot, each member including a pair of L-shaped clipssecured thereto by one leg, the other leg of each clip beingrespectively adapted to abut opposed parallel faces of said support.

3. An article-supporting rack comprising an elongated principal supportof rectangular cross section having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced-apart inverted L-shaped slots, one leg of the slot beingtransversely disposed and opening at one edge of said support, and theother leg being disposed longitudinally of said support, and a pluralityof transversely extending elongated members each adapted for engagementin a slot, each member including a pair of spaced projections extendinglaterally therefrom and adapted to abut opposed parallel faces of saidsupport, and each said member having a plurality of spaced-apartarticle-supporting notches there- 1n.

4. An article-supporting rack comprising an elongated principal supportof rectangular cross section having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced-apart inverted L-shaped slots, one leg of the slot beingtransversely disposed and opening at one edge of said support, and theother leg being disposed longitudinally of said support, and a pluralityof transversely extending elongated members each adapted for engagementin a slot, each member including a pair of spaced projections extendinglaterally therefrom and adapted to abut opposed parallel faces of saidsupport, each said member having a plurality of spaced-apart notchestherein and a hooked article support removably secured in each saidnotch.

5. An article-supporting rack comprising an elongated principal supportof rectangular cross section having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced-apart inverted L-shaped slots, one leg of the slot beingtransversely disposed and opening at one edge of said support, and theother leg being disposed longitudinally of said support, and a pluralityof transversely disposed elongated members each including a plurality ofparallelly disposed deformable wire rods, at least the lowermost of saidrods having a U-shaped bight substantially centrally thereof, the rodsbeing receivable in said longitudinally disposed leg of the slot, andthe bight straddling the bottom thereof, and a pair of projectionssecured to said rods and abutting opposed parallel faces of saidsupport.

6. An article-supporting rack comprising an elongated principal supportof rectangular cross section having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced-apart inverted L-shaped slots, one leg of the slot beingtransversely disposed and opening at one edge of said support, and theother leg being disposed longitudinally of said support, and

a plurality of transversely extending elongated members each adapted forengagement in a slot, each member including a pair of spaced projectionsextending laterally therefrom and adapted to abut opposed parallel facesof said support, an article-holding unit adapted to be removably securedto a member, said unit including a table and a pair of projectionsattached to said table .and engageable over said member.

7. An' article-supporting rack comprising an REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 643,818 Hedland Feb. 20, 1900758,046 Bronson Apr. 26, 1904 891,029 Beach June 16, 1908 1,611,397Wells Dec. 21, 1926 1,706,887 Knostman Mar. 26, 1929 1,750,808 LichtmanMar. 18, 1930 1,827,478 Lichtman Oct. 13, 1931 2,117,233 Clark May 10,1938

